Giant coming to Walnutport

$70 million capital investment to benefit customers and local communities
Company invests $1 million to fight hunger

Carlisle, PA – GIANT Food Stores today announced the company will construct six new stores, remodel two locations, and open five new fuel stations in Pennsylvania totaling a $70 million capital investment over the next two years. As part of its growth strategy, the company plans to enter the East Stroudsburg and Walnutport communities for the first time.

“We are positioning the company for long-term growth, and we are excited to grow our presence within East Stroudsburg and Walnutport to better serve the families in those communities,” said Nicholas Bertram, GIANT president. “This year GIANT is celebrating our founding in Pennsylvania 95 years ago, so we’re especially proud to make these new investments in our home state.”

The East Stroudsburg store at 300 Lincoln Ave. and the Walnutport store at 300 S. Best Ave. are both anticipated to open in 2019. Both locations will include new fuel stations.

When the Shrewsbury and West Chester remodels are completed later this year, customers will be able to take advantage of key benefits which include a broader variety and assortment that is relevant to customers in each store, such as more local products, a deeper assortment of natural and organic selections and healthier snack options. Each remodel will bring a freshly designed layout that is easier to navigate and shop so customers can get in and out of the store quickly.

In addition to the construction of new stores, three new fuel stations will be built to serve customers in the existing Pennsylvania locations of Lititz, Horsham, and Bethlehem listed below:

At these locations, customers will save at the pump with GIANT’S exclusive Gas Extra Rewards program. Following completion of construction within the year, the company will operate 103 fuel stations.

As a result of these new projects GIANT anticipates bringing approximately 300 additional jobs to these communities through the hiring of full-time and part-time associates.

This investment announcement follows the February completion of a new Peapod wareroom opened in partnership with GIANT in North Coventry, Pennsylvania. The wareroom opening was in response to fast-growing delivery and pickup demand, and it will enable Peapod and GIANT to serve up to 25 percent more shoppers in the greater Philadelphia area. Peapod has experienced double digit growth in the Philadelphia region for the last three consecutive years.

Furthermore, this announcement is in addition to the ongoing investments in Beer & Wine Eateries that GIANT began in 2011 and now number 59 in Pennsylvania.

In addition to its longstanding heritage of savings and quality, GIANT is committed to making shopping easy for customers, providing a friendly, caring service experience every time – whether in store, online or when groceries are delivered. Its signature BonusCard loyalty program offers weekly promotions, and the innovative mobile app provides easy access to digital coupons on items shoppers buy most.

Investment in Fighting Hunger in Pennsylvania

GIANT Food Stores’ investment is also extended to fighting child hunger in local Pennsylvania communities. The grocer has committed $1 million over two years to Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley. Central Pennsylvania Food Bank will receive an $800,000 grant to accelerate its multipronged approach to address the issue of food insecurity among children and their families, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley will receive $216,000 to expand its Backpack Buddies program.

“As we announce a significant investment in our store fleet to better serve our customers, we are also committed to help our regional food bank partners to better serve the communities we share,” continued Bertram. “Together, we can expand access to healthier, fresher food so those in need can nourish their families and meet basic needs to help them get back on their feet.”

GIANT believes in making a dramatic and positive difference in the communities it serves. GIANT associates follow their passion and volunteer at area food banks, Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) telethons, and other nonprofit organizations throughout the year. The company also donates more than $20 million in cash and product each year, including hundreds of thousands of pounds of much-needed protein to food banks through its signature “Meat the Needs” program. GIANT is also a proud member of the CMN Hospitals’ Miracle Million Club where it is recognized as a 20-year plus Corporate Partner.

Serving millions of customers each week at 171 locations in four states, GIANT was founded in 1923 and still calls Carlisle, Pennsylvania its hometown.

###

About GIANT Food Stores, LLC
GIANT Food Stores, LLC has more than 170 neighborhood stores and offers home delivery, online/mobile ordering, fuel centers, pharmacies, plus in-store nutritionists. Serving families in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, GIANT Food Stores is proud to employ more than 30,000 associates who believe in giving back to their community. Founded in 1923 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, GIANT Food Stores is a company of Ahold Delhaize. For more information visit the GIANT or MARTIN’S websites.